Pro-life Leaders Praise Roe v. Wade Decision

Pro-life leaders throughout the state began to weigh in on the overturning of Roe v. Wade shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision June 24.
The decision brought a sudden and dramatic end to nearly a half-century of nationwide legalized abortion in the U.S.
Bishop Michael G. Duca said the decision will thankfully provide a renewed defense for the right to life of the unborn who have been defenseless for half a century because of the court’s previous  Roe v. Wade ruling.

“It is my hope that this decision will provide our states' governments legal framework, motivation and momentum to pass laws and create services to protect and support both the life of the mother in need and the life of the innocent unborn child,” Bishop Duca said in a statement. “I thank all people of good will who have prayed and worked tirelessly to uphold the dignity of all human life, and I invite all to join me in prayer for peace and renewed commitment to healing those in need.”

Randall Waguespack, director of the Office of Life, Peace and Justice said “we should look at the Supreme Court's reversing of Roe v. Wade as a significant accomplishment in the war against abortion, but it is also crucial that we remember that the fight is not over.”

“What we need even more than changes in our laws in this country is the conversion of our hearts.  We need to continue to offer prayer and sacrifice for an end to the culture of death that plagues our country,” he added.

“This is an answer to prayers,” said Tom Costanza, executive director of the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops. “We have for decades been praying (for the decision to be overturned) and they were answered.”

Costanza called the decision a significant first step in building a culture of life in society.
The opinion, in the Mississippi abortion case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, is widely seen as the Supreme Court’s most highly anticipated and consequential ruling since Roe. It not only overturns Roe, the landmark 1973 abortion case, but also Casey v. Planned Parenthood, a 1992 decision that affirmed Roe.
"Abortion presents a profound moral question. The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each state from regulating or prohibiting abortion. Roe and Casey arrogated that authority," the opinion states. "We now overrule these decisions and return that authority to the people and their elected representatives."

The decision does not ban or criminalize abortion, nor does it recognize an unborn child's constitutional right to life. But in one stroke, the court’s action sweeps away entrenched legal barriers, created and strictly enforced by the federal judiciary, that for decades have blocked states like Mississippi from heavily restricting or prohibiting the killing of unborn children in the womb.

In the process, the decision ushers in a new era of abortion politics in the U.S., with the battleground now shifting to state legislatures. Those democratically elected bodies are now free to debate and regulate abortion as they see fit, as happened throughout American history before the Supreme Court federalized the issue. 

At the same time, the ruling marks a watershed moment for the Catholic Church and the wider pro-life movement in the United States, which have painstakingly sought Roe’s reversal since the landmark 7-2 decision was handed down on Jan. 19, 1973.
The opinion was written by Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. Associate Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett joined the opinion. Chief Justice John Roberts filed an opinion concurring in the judgment. Associate justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan dissented.
The outcome of Dobbs came as little surprise, since the final opinion substantially resembled a draft written by Alito in February that was leaked to the press on May 2.
In Roe v. Wade, the court ruled that states could not ban abortion before viability, which the court determined to be 24 to 28 weeks into pregnancy. Nearly 20 years later, the court upheld Roe in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The 1992 ruling said that while states could regulate pre-viability abortions, they could not enforce an “undue burden,” defined by the court as “a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion of a nonviable fetus.”

Mississippi’s Gestational Age Act, the subject of the Dobbs case, directly challenged both decisions, because it bans abortion weeks after 15 weeks, well before the point of viability.
"Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have inflamed debate and deepened division," the opinion states.

"It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives," the opinion states.

Bishop Duca said the diocese will continue to focus on maintaining and expanding services that provide support to all women who are faced with unexpected pregnancies and who need accompaniment.

“Our Office of Life, Peace and Justice will continue to be responsible for developing and maintaining programs that promote and protect the most vulnerable among us.,” he added. “These resources will be added to our diocesan website (diobr.org/respectlife) as they become available. We will also continue to advocate for the healing of wounds and divisions while promoting dialogue to seek the conversion of hearts and minds.”
Costanza said now is the time for the church to support moms, providing resources, love and support, especially for those in need.

Waguespack echoed similar sentiments, saying “we need to recognize the importance of coming together to support women and their unborn babies now that Roe v. Wade is overturned.

“We need to show everyone that there are viable options instead of abortion. This will take a commitment from each one of us and from all our churches.”

Costanza said legislation was recently passed in the Louisiana Legislature providing medical services for moms postpartum for up to a year, which he called significant.
Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of the Archdiocese of New Orleans gave thanks to God that the injustice of abortion on demand has come to an end and that society will have the opportunity to save more innocent lives.

He added people of God must stand ready to support mothers in need and their babies.
“We must do what we can to advocate for medical care and resources for mothers and their families,” Archbishop Aymond said. “We must support businesses that put women and families first in their practices. We must provide real resources for vulnerable women in unplanned pregnancies and encourage families to support their daughters and sons when faced with an unplanned pregnancy.”

He said perhaps more importantly more must be done to change the hearts and minds of people when it comes to the dignity of all life. The archbishop said young people must be formed in the truth of Christ and the natural law about the right to life.

“We must teach our young women and men respect for themselves and their full and authentic femininity and masculinity,” he said. “We must be consistent in our ethics regarding life from the womb to the sick and elderly to the prisoner. As Catholics we must unequivocally stand for the dignity and respect for all human life from conception to natural death.”

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called the day historic, one that stirs thoughts, emotions and prayers.
“America has enforced an unjust law that has permitted some to decide whether others can live or die; this policy has resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of preborn children, generations that were denied the right to even be born,” he said. “We thank God today that the Court has now overturned this decision. We pray that our elected officials will now enact laws and policies that promote and protect the most vulnerable among us.” 

Allison Millet, chief executive officer of the Woman’s New Life Clinic in Baton Rouge, said the clinic has been a beacon of hope for more than 10 years, providing free professional medical and mental health services to women. She said that even with the court’s ruling, the work of the clinic will not stop.

“Now, more than ever, women need love,” Millet said. “We are called to rise up and support each woman struggling with an unplanned pregnancy. The circumstances surrounding her unplanned pregnancy will still be there. We need to be there for her.”
She said the clinic will continue to provide mental health support to women in crisis and grief and empower them to see hope.

“We will continue to provide free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and abortion pill reversal,” she said “We will continue to link arms with adoption agencies, churches and life-affirming programs that support mothers. Our work has just begun!”

President Joe Biden called on Congress to codify abortion access into federal law. The court’s decision returned the question of abortion policy to the states, which Biden labeled a “tragic error.” 

He also said he has directed the Department of Health and Human Services to make abortion pills more widely available, and that he would do “everything in my power” to protect women traveling to obtain abortions.

The decision comes only days after Gov. John Bel Edwards signed into law the state’s “trigger law” that bans abortions in Louisiana.

SB 342, which was sponsored by Sen. Katrina Jackson of Monroe and that Edwards signed into law June 21, also increases criminal penalties for those providers performing abortions.

Additionally, SB 342 will close abortion clinics but also ensures doctors can appropriately handle miscarriages and work to save the life of the pregnant mother when her life is in danger. It clarifies language that contraceptives are not considered abortions.

The bill does include exceptions of medical futility, which allows for abortions if the doctors believe the baby will not survive after birth or the pregnancy is ectopic, when a fertilized egg implants and grows outside of the uterus.

But the law does not provide exceptions in the cases of rape and incest.

Senate Bill 388, also signed into law by Edwards, stops the sale of chemical abortions immediately.

Louisiana is one of 13 states nationwide with the trigger laws.

Edwards said in a press release that his position on abortion has been unwavering.
“I am pro-life and have never hidden from that fact,” the governor said. “

“We mark this historic day not only as an ending but rather the beginning of building a robust culture of life!” the Bishop Duca said.

For moms facing difficult circumstances, the Problem Pregnancy Center, Walking with Moms and the Women’s New Life Center in Baton Rouge are sources to find support. Visit https://pregnancyproblemcenterbr.com; https://www.walkingwithmoms.com/or womansnewlife.com/

Assistant Editor Debbie Shelley and Catholic News Agency contributed to this report.